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CHAPTER1
Roni Jones drew in a deep breath as she closed her laptop and frowned. Business was down for the fifth month in a row. What was she going to do? She looked at Spooky sitting in his favorite spot on his cat tree in front of the large picture window. He was perched behind the counter of her coffee shop, Coffee Corner, where she made her famous beverage creations. Or at least she liked to kid herself they were famous, until she saw this month’s numbers.
“Spooky, I love you, sweets, but you’re falling down on the job. You’re supposed to make my wishes come true and that has yet to happen. Business is still down, and to top that off, I’m spending another Christmas alone.”
And not with Jimmy.
She thought of her high school sweetheart as she looked at the picture of the two of them from their senior prom with toothy smiles and dreams in their eyes. She dug out the picture after he called her out of the blue last Christmas, right after she and Spooky found each other. At that moment, she decided Spooky was magical, and that maybe her fortunes were about to change.
She scowled. Hah! While she enjoyed all the conversations she and Jimmy had over the last year, he still hadn’t come for a visit. She’d really hoped this Christmas he’d make it back home.
If for no other reason than to come see her.
But so far, she hadn’t heard a peep from him
The Siamese cat looked at her with eyes resembling peridot gemstones and gave her a long slow blink.
Roni sighed. “I know what you’re thinking. If I’m with you, then how am I alone?” She smiled and shook her head. “I suppose you’re right.”
And she supposed it was past time to stop holding out hope for the man who’d already broken her heart once before.
“Excuse me, but are you talking to your cat?”
Roni turned to find a young girl of maybe eight or nine looking up at her expectantly. Her hair was a bright red and she had a splattering of freckles like starfire across the bridge of her nose. Roni grinned and leaned toward her. “Why, yes, I am. This is my cat and he grants wishes.”
The child’s eyes widened. “He does?”
“Absolutely. Except when he’s being bratty. Like now,” she muttered under her breath and threw Spooky a twist of her lips.
“Can I pet him?”
“Sure. If he’ll let you. He’s very finicky.”
The girl nodded resolutely and walked around the counter, petted Spooky, and said in a loud clear voice, “I wish for a puppy. A white one with lots of spots.”
Roni smothered her smile. “What’s your name?”
“Pippi,” the girl said, scratching Spooky behind the ears, who surprisingly let her. The cat never ceased to amaze her.
“Pippi?” Roni repeated.
“Yeah, my mother’s favorite book when she was a kid wasPippi Longstocking,” she said in a long-suffering voice. “So lucky me, I got stuck with the name Pippi.” She continued to stroke Spooky who started to purr loudly.
Roni looked at the child with her red hair and freckles and couldn’t help grinning. She really was the perfect Pippi. “Your mom sounds like a lot of fun. Do I know her?”
The girl’s face fell as she dropped her gaze to the ground. Roni’s heart squeezed, then the girl lifted her chin, her blue eyes wide and direct, and looked right at her. “No. My mom died a couple years ago. My dad and I are here to visit my grandma.”
Roni sucked in a deep breath. The child looked so brave. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. That’s rough. I know how it feels when someone you love passes. I’m Roni. This is my shop, and this here is Spooky.”
“Spooky,” she repeated and laughed. “That’s a silly name. Almost as bad as Pippi.”
“Well, here in Pineville, we love silly names. What can I get you?”
“Do you make milk shakes?” she asked, her gaze scanning the chalkboard above Roni’s head with all her offerings written with various-colored chalk pens.
“No, but I can make you a peppermint smoothie.”
The girl smiled. “Sold.”
